Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships comes to Mandalay
Mandalay, the second-largest city, and the last royal capital of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is abuzz with badminton - thanks to Badminton Asia Junior Under-17 and Under-15 Championships that will be held in this ancient city.
The Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championships will be played at the newly completed Mandalar Thiri Multi-Purpose Stadium from Oct 3-7. A total of 17 countries from the Asian region are competing in the championships.
The 17 countries are Bangladesh, Brunei, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong China. Korea, Kazakhstan, Macau China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Mandalay will be one of the two badminton hubs in the country after Yangon.
This is the second time in two years that Myanmar is playing host to this Badminton Asia Championships after Yangon hosted the same meet at the Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium in October last year.
However, it is the first time that an international badminton tournament is being held in Mandalay where football is the number one sport.
It has drawn so much interest in this Badminton Asia UJunior Championships that the local government has taken a keen interest to ensure that it is all "smooth sailing" in the preparations.
Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the Prime Minister for Mandalay Division and several other high ranking government officials on Monday were at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium to see work in progress.
The name Mandalay is derived from the nearby Mandalay Hill. The hill has long been a holy mount and commands a magnificent view of the city and surrounding countryside.
Among the many attractions is the Atumashi Monastery which was destroyed by a fire in 1890. The government reconstructed the monastery and work was completed in June 1996.
The Buddha's Replica Tooth Relic Pagoda on Maha Dhammayanthi Hillin Aamarapura Township. The pagoda was built with cash donations contributed by the people of Burma and Buddhist donors from around the world under the supervision of the State Peace and Development Council.
The 729 upright stone slabs surround the Kuthodaw Pagoda built by King Mindon in 1857 on which are inscribed the entire Tipitaka and is popularly known as the "World's largest Book" for stone scriptures.
Often referred to as Myanmar's (Burma) cultural and religious center for Buddhism, Mandalay has more than 700 pagodas.
Football is the most popular sports in the country but other sports like athletics, boxing, rock climbing and now badminton has joined the list.
Mandalay is a significant trading and communications center for northern and central Myanmar (Burma). It also has the best educational facilities and institutions after Yangon.
Among the leading traditional industries are silk weaving, tapestry, jade cutting and polishing, stone and wood carving, making marble and bronze Buddha images, temple ornaments and paraphernalia, the making of gold and silver leaves, brewing and distilling hogs Myanmar's economy.
For the record, Mandalay is twinned with Cirebon in Indonesia, Kunming (China), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Ulsan (South Korea).
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